So first - the story. Yes! The story, who can i be without the story? A man in the wilderness sitting squatted in padmasana meditating about the self... Of course the story, once you succeeded, transforms into the path. The story is the funny thing we get to remember. The story is what puts bunions in the feet of our ego. The story, once expressed, is ether released into reality, and whoever gets to witness (if they are well enrolled) can help you reach the greatest goal. 

The Slow Money gathering aims to fix the economy from the ground up, one small food enterprise at a time.  At a time when the big business in town is a struggling stock market, disgraced investment bankers, and a market overrun with poisonous factory-farm produce – the Slow Money Gathering is bringing to bear a new kind of investing.  They call it natural capital, farmer capital, social capital, local capital, nurture capital & cheese capital (why not?).

In the last two years, the gathering has hosted more than 1000 people form 24 states, and more than $4.25 million dollars have been invested in 16 of the presenting small food enterprises.  The event has also given rise to local chapters, who have begun investing around the country.

My name is Andrew, I’m a brand new employee at Cafe Gratitude’s central office, and I want to share some inspiration with you. What inspires me is compassionate food--food that’s kind to the soil it’s planted in, the people who prepare it, and the hungry bodies that make it part of them. This inspiration has lead me to work with Cafe Gratitude, and also with another organization re-imagining good food, and one I’ll talk about today: the Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive, or CoFED, which empowers college students to launch food cooperatives.

What both these organizations have in common is that they empower people to transform their lives, with compassionate food as a catalyst. We like to call the Cafe a school of transformation disguised as a restaurant, because our core mission isn’t to sell you food - our aim is to give you tools to shape your life how you want it to be. Part of actively taking control of your life involves loving yourself, and a key part of loving yourself is feeding yourself really awesome food. So when you decide that you’re worthy of nourishing your body, mind and soul with meals that are kind to the Earth and her animal and human inhabitants - meals that make you feel and function great - you’re taking the first step on the journey of self-transformation.

The World Vegetarian Festival comes to San Francisco, October 1-2, 2011!

What better place for health-conscious, compassionate and animal-loving people from across the world to converge, than San Francisco? For twelve years now, the San Francisco Vegetarian Society has thrown its World Veg Festival, which celebrates vegetarianism as a means to become healthy, improve animal welfare and protect the natural environment. Held in the County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park, the fest invites anyone--vegetarian, vegan or neither--to come out for the weekend to experience delicious meat-free meals, learn to prepare heart-healthy dishes, explore the ethical dimensions of a vegetarian diet, and socialize. There will be guest speakers, such as veggie luminaries Colin Campbell and John Robbins, activities, vendors, and even speed dating! So however you want to approach or experience vegetarianism, or even if you want to get a taste of it for the first time, the World Veg Festival can offer you a fun and educational day in the city!

Date:        Saturday, Oct. 1 & Sunday, Oct. 2, 10am - 6pm
Location:    SF County Fair Building, 1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, California 94122
Tickets:     $8 at the door, or purchased through Eventbrite.
Phone:        (415) 831-5500
Website:    http://worldvegfestival.com/

This year, the California Label GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) Campaign is committed to proposing legislation to ensure that all GMO foods sold are labelled as containing GMOs. Currently, food distributors are not required to label their food as containing GMOs. Cafe Gratitude is a stand for the labeling and regulation of GMOs, the use of which pose untold threats to the health of our community and planet.
Why does this matter? If you are not currently aware of the social, economic, ecological, and health dangers posed by GMOs, check out the video of Vandana Shiva, Ph.D. below.  She is a philosopher, environmental activist, and ecofeminist, who is regarded as an authority on the global implications of GMO crops.

What can you do?  Take action today by:
- Spreading the word in your social network, website, or neighborhood: Click Here to Share
- Visit LabelGMOs.org/pledge to pledge to collect signatures to help us meet our goal.
- Donate to help this grass-roots campaign succeed!
- Learn how to avoid GMOs when you shop, by going to a local California farmer's market, or by checking out the Center for Food Safety's Non-GMO shopper's guide.
Thank you for sharing your inspiration with us, and for helping us to create this world as a safe, healthy, just place for future generations.

I have a deep deep love and admiration for the cacao bean.  Cacao is a magical food that seems to immediately satisfy and comfort me.  There's something about a dripping chocolate sauce, or a spongy chocolate cake that calls to me.  Perhaps you feel the same way. I dedicate this week's Focus blog post on the magical cacao bean.  Read up on some of our favorite recipes with cacao here.

Cacao (Theombroma cacao)

Although not all cacao is roasted, it is all fermented, thus reducing its bitterness.  Full of antioxidants and phenyl ethylamine-- the chemical found in the brains of people in love-- it's no wonder people all over the world are attracted to chocolate.  Chocolate fruit looks somewhat similar to a small papaya.  It's the beans on the inside of the pod that we ferment and use in confections, potions, and brews.  Cacao is available in whole beans, nibs (bits of the full bean), and powder (ground up nibs) as well as cacao butter (the extracted fat solids).  Theombroma literally means "Food of the Gods". Human use of cacao dates back more than 5,000 years, and evidence suggests that it was used by the Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec people of Mexico shamanistically and ritualistically as well as a form of currency - and of course, as food! Raw cacao is one of the most complex known food sources, containing an estimated 1,200 chemical constituents including anandamide (bliss chemical), arginine (needed for proper cell division and the healing of wounds), dopamine (a neurotransmitter associated with the pleasure system of the brain), serotonin (a neurotransmitter needed for mood modulation), tryptophan (a precursor for serotonin and melatonin), and phenylethylamine (boosts our ability to be alert and pay attention and is noticeably abundant in the brains of happy people). In addition, cacao contains Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors, which allow more of these and other neurotransmitters to circulate in the brain). Raw cacao is an incredibly rich source of magnesium, which is needed for the heart to function well (it is the primary mineral missing when heart problems occur). Research has shown cacao also to be extraordinarily high in antioxidants - nearly twice that of red wine and three times what is found in green tea.

We've been getting a new wave of gorgeous new goodies to sell in our cafes and online store from local favorites with innovative designs.  Today I'd like to share about three products everyone in the Central Kitchen/Offices seems to wear and use again and again.

We've all been really digging this awesome design by Jon Marro called "Veggie-Wings".  Matched with the lightweight uber soft organic cotton and the perfect flattering fit all sizes, this shirt is a slam-dunk in my book.  I can tell that my friends agree, because  it's come to a point that we're often caught wearing the same thing on the same day.  Join the fan club for this gorgeous and comfortable apparel in blue or white here.

Do it yourself: What a combo of words!  In Spanish: "hazlo tu mismo".  Remember self is the only thing we are, now.

"Forks Over Knives" follows the journey of several Americans as they move from lifetimes of eating mostly animal products and processed foods to a whole food plant-based diet, and the miraculous health results that follow.  Two scientists, Dr. Campell of Cornell University, and Dr. Esselstyn of the Cleveland Clinic, lead the way, sharing their research findings that illuminate the healthfulness of a plant-based diet, and it's ability to steer fork-eaters clear of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. 

The film also touches on larger issues, including the morose diagnosis that given the healthfulness of most Americans, today's children may not reach the average age of their parent's generation.  So, our scientists start asking the big questions:

"Who will protect the public?"  Their answer: Not the government, not the American Dietetic association, not the insurance industry, or the pharmaceutical industry, nor the medical or food industries.  Perhaps only the public can protect the public, and armed with the information in this film, we might all learn how to live long and fruit-full lives.

Hi Everyone,